Pokemon and...

[Yen]

I am not sure if I am in the right forum... so I am currently living in a Pastor's house

We had a guest Pastor B who told me to stop playing Pokemon Go, because Pokemon is demonic. She explains that it has an evil spirit that possess the soul of players. More over, another church member said that one of the clues is it's name "Pocket Monster". They literally translated the word Monster for something evil/demonic.

This guest Pastor B has a friend Pastor C who also believes that certain items may have evil spirit and possess you or the house. I also saw Pastor C praying over a depressed lady, a while so, he noticed the lady's necklace and told her that the pendant has a meaning and it attracts evil spirits.

I find this whole thing stupid, and have actually never encountered something similar in the Bible. That a spirit can live in an object and this bad spirit can possess you. Or I am wrong...?

Because all I know is, what the Bible says is to be wary of idolizing things. Anything can be a form of an "idol" if we emerge ourselves on something/someone not God.

Now, my Pastor's wife, told me to stop playing Pokemon Go, because it is demonic and it invites evil spirit in the house. If she'd caught me playing, I'll have to move out. She also mentioned that if it weren't for her, I won't be blessed by God. If she prays to God to not to bless me anymore, God won't bless me anymore. And that's her calling...

I felt something wrong here. What I learned from my church (in Philippines) is that Jesus is the only intercessor. Other people can help pray for you, but what matters most is your personal relationship with God. Your faith, hope is in Jesus, and you obey Him. I don't loose focus on God when I play games, I do not spend much of my time playing games.

I told them that I can control myself (in playing games), and that I am a mature Christian. I might have been lost for a while but God redeemed me again. Also, I learned that evil spirit can't possess Christians.

So... are their claims Biblically correct? Because I feel something is not right, I might be wrong.

 

[amadeus2]

Read the scriptures yourself and pray to God yourself. Eventually God will give you the necessary answers for you... which may not agree with the answers of other people. The important thing is that you remain on God's side without trying compare yourself with others and at the same time not condemning others... even if they are wrong.

"For we dare not make ourselves of the number, or compare ourselves with some that commend themselves: but they measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise." II Cor 10:12

I know nothing of Pokemon, but while you should listen to others and to the extent possible respect those in authority, you must go the way God wants you to go. The scripture tells to avoid doing things before others which they consider evil,

"Abstain from all appearance of evil." I Thess 5:22. But...

The "but" is that some people may believe your whole way of living or even of serving God is evil. We must connect with God ourselves so that He will show us the proper way to walk before Him:

"O LORD, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps." Jerem 10:23

 

[B-A-C]

Well they are partly right, but I'm not agree with everything you say they have said.

Praying for God not to bless me

I don't think I've ever prayed that anyone.

Demons can't possess Christians, but they can still influence us.
Jesus told Peter..."Satan get behind me". ( Matt 16:23; Mark 8:33; )

Now I personally don't think you will go to hell for playing Pokemon, but even so
you are a guest in their house, so you should abide by their rules.

I think you might have a misunderstanding about what intercessory prayer is.
But regardless of that, I don't think her asking God "not to bless you" is the right
thing to do.

 

[KingJ]

I am not sure if I am in the right forum... so I am currently living in a Pastor's house

We had a guest Pastor B who told me to stop playing Pokemon Go, because Pokemon is demonic. She explains that it has an evil spirit that possess the soul of players. More over, another church member said that one of the clues is it's name "Pocket Monster". They literally translated the word Monster for something evil/demonic.

This guest Pastor B has a friend Pastor C who also believes that certain items may have evil spirit and possess you or the house. I also saw Pastor C praying over a depressed lady, a while so, he noticed the lady's necklace and told her that the pendant has a meaning and it attracts evil spirits.

I find this whole thing stupid, and have actually never encountered something similar in the Bible. That a spirit can live in an object and this bad spirit can possess you. Or I am wrong...?

Because all I know is, what the Bible says is to be wary of idolizing things. Anything can be a form of an "idol" if we emerge ourselves on something/someone not God.

Now, my Pastor's wife, told me to stop playing Pokemon Go, because it is demonic and it invites evil spirit in the house. If she'd caught me playing, I'll have to move out. She also mentioned that if it weren't for her, I won't be blessed by God. If she prays to God to not to bless me anymore, God won't bless me anymore. And that's her calling...

I felt something wrong here. What I learned from my church (in Philippines) is that Jesus is the only intercessor. Other people can help pray for you, but what matters most is your personal relationship with God. Your faith, hope is in Jesus, and you obey Him. I don't loose focus on God when I play games, I do not spend much of my time playing games.

I told them that I can control myself (in playing games), and that I am a mature Christian. I might have been lost for a while but God redeemed me again. Also, I learned that evil spirit can't possess Christians.

So... are their claims Biblically correct? Because I feel something is not right, I might be wrong.

An evil spirit cannot possess you but can harass you. There is truth to objects and perhaps even some games opening the door to demonic activity. It all has to do with your intentions though. That is where I completely disagree with the pastor and his daughter. If you go looking for demons you will find them. You clearly aren't.

But where you are stepping in the wrong potentially is in causing others to fall. This issue may seem pedantic to you and I. But the bible gives us such a harsh warning in Luke 17:12 and wisdom in 1 Thess 5:22.

I agree with what BAC said. You are in their house, respect their rules :wink:.

 

[Sig]

I played a lot of games in my time on pc and android too...Problems i have with them :
They are addicting, and that is not a good thing period
Time and money consuming
Nudity
Subliminal messages
Summoning, very few games where you don't need to summon spirits...
Bottom line, games are designed to help you escape your miserable reality.
Pokemon go is first step to introduce mainstream public to virtual reality, they starting to condition us for the age to come...Google glasses, oculus rift, conditioning is ongoing...Btw all alcoholics were in control of themselves at first... Just saying...Maybe there is nothing wrong with it yet, but surely nothing good either...
That pastors wife though, i wouldn't want to see that god she is praying to...Maybe it's for the better if you get kicked out...

 

[Mir]

I have grandchildren, so I've made it my business to research this game and found this video by Sheila Zillinsky called The Dark Roots of Pokemon on YouTube. In it she shares an interview w/ the creator of Pokemon Hector Mata. He was brought up in a christian home, but as an adult he rebelled against his christian parents. He said in his rebellion against Christianity he wanted to develop a game to go against everything that Christians believe in.